While I began to read an article that should have been on the discrimination that is waged on innocent patients (“Marijuana wars in the workplace,” ODE, Feb. 4), by the end of the article I found myself on the defense as an advocate for medical marijuana, as well as the general legalization of the plant – yes, plant.
Mass media seem to write from the perspective of today, which is usually fine. However, in looking at this issue from a global and historic perspective, it’s clear to see that another approach needs to be taken. Hemp used to be promoted as a cash crop in colonial America and even used as currency in some states. It was recognized as medicinal and sold in pharmacies. It has only been outlawed for a mere 72 years. It is not the “Marijuana Menace” that it was framed as when the government first used it as a scapegoat to ward off the then-recent uprising of Mexican immigrants.
Hard-working people who choose to relax with a glass of wine or scotch are OK, but those who wish to take a little toke at the end of the day are scrutinized and stereotyped. The words we use today are different, but have the same downright dirty implications of criminality.
Being “above the influence” is promoted as influencing kids to make healthy choices. However, in my years as a young person, I have seen many of my peers wrestle with morning hangovers and the implications of bad decisions (sexual, driving, or texting) of the night before. The worst offense from someone who smoked too much: maybe a missed homework assignment that could be equally attributed to being distracted or overly stressed.
Wednesday’s article referenced “abusers” of the system. This is a word I would have expected to see on the opinion page or within the confines of quotation marks. In today’s world, with prescription drugs being abused on a daily basis, it could be easy to lump the new medicinal users into that category. However, taking a much-needed step back, it should be easy to see that these hard workers – yes, workers – who are contributing to society are not the abusers, but the abused.
These medical cardholders are the responsible ones, the ones who care enough to tiptoe around the system to remain law-abiding citizens. In an article that should have been about discrimination, the long finger of doubt was pointed to cardholders who took the trouble, money and time to work with the laws that created out of discrimination. Who are we to judge someone’s pain and the medication that relieves it and allows them the peace of mind to keep working day-to-day to support their families?
We should be standing up for their rights as citizens of the same country where others takes pills to get up the morning, get through the day, and go to bed at night and are considered “normal.” I suggest a different “NORML” to be praised – the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
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